brand expansion

Orlando, Friday, 7 November 2025.
Merlin has opened a standalone Peppa Pig theme park in Texas with an investment exceeding $40 million, while Triotech marks its 25th year by deploying large-scale interactive media attractions—most notably Into The Deep at Six Flags Qiddiya and Transformers projects in Saudi Arabia. Together these moves signal two industry shifts: accelerated, IP-led regional expansion aimed at predictable family audiences and growing supplier readiness to deliver modular, high-capacity media-based dark rides and turnkey systems for mid‑market parks. For retail and attraction operators this means rethinking master plans, phasing and CAPEX allocation between licensing and technology, prioritizing throughput and maintenance predictability over novelty, and updating sourcing strategies to favour turnkey suppliers that reduce installation risk. The Texas park’s emphasis on accessible, sensory-friendly design also highlights growing expectations around inclusivity. Read on to understand timing, capital implications and operational trade‑offs that will affect site-level yields and seasonality across portfolios in the coming years.

Dallas‑Fort Worth, Monday, 13 October 2025.
Merlin Entertainments will open a second U.S. Peppa Pig theme park in the Dallas–Fort Worth market in 2025, signalling a deliberate shift to branded, kid‑centric destinations that drive repeat family visitation. For retail professionals this translates into steadier, family‑timed footfall, clearer seasonal peaks and higher lifetime value per household—ideal conditions for curated merchandise assortments, tiered pricing and pass‑linked retail offers. Operationally expect tight integration of themed rides with retail and F&B, standardized licensing playbooks, and cross‑property promotions that lift per‑capita spend. Regional market development will target both local discretionary budgets and short‑break tourists, increasing competitive pressure on independent family entertainment operators. The most intriguing fact: Merlin is treating single‑IP parks as scalable, commercially predictable assets in major U.S. metros rather than experimental venues—giving retail partners a longer planning horizon for sourcing, inventory cadence and loyalty activations tailored to young families.

Dallas, Monday, 1 September 2025.
Merlin Entertainments is expanding its Peppa Pig footprint with a purpose-built theme park in the Dallas–Fort Worth market, a US second location designed to capture multigenerational family spend and increase dwell time through licensed children’s IP. The new US park—the third global Peppa Pig park and a $40 million site—pairs age‑appropriate rides, themed playscapes and certified autism‑friendly facilities to broaden accessibility and repeat visitation. Crucially, Merlin announced a strategic partnership with RWS Global to outsource high‑production live entertainment across multiple resorts, with RWS developing more than 100 experiences in 2025. For retail and park operators this signals a dual play: localised IP-driven attraction growth to boost merchandising and F&B revenue, combined with outsourced creative capacity to scale premium, seasonal programming and lift per‑capita spend. Practically, expect tighter integration between IP, live production and retail assortments—opening timing in 2025—creating new merchandising windows and operational models for third‑party services and licensing partners.